Gay marriage opponents invoke God, free speech at Statehouse rally

SPRINGFIELD — Busloads of gay-marriage opponents rallied Wednesday outside the Capitol, pledging to reverse any headway in the push for state legislation that would allow same-sex weddings.

Pastors, Christian activists and others addressed a crowd clustered on the first floor of the rotunda, some peering down from the second- and third-floor rails, a day after gay-marriage proponents rallied to urge lawmakers to approve it.

Pastor Steve Barr of East Gate Christian Center in Freeport accompanied several carloads of people from Stephenson County.

"We're hoping to accomplish the preservation of our current laws," he said. "We're not people haters, but sometimes there's an epic or a moral code that creates a strength in our nation. Even if (standing up for) it makes people disagree with you, it's been bedrock to the success and the stability of our nation in centuries past and will continue to be as long as we abide by it."

Defend Marriage Lobby Day, sponsored by the Illinois Family Institute, drew about 2,500 people — slightly smaller than the estimate from Tuesday's event — according to the secretary of state's police.

"Are we going to stay silent and let this happen?" activist Jim Finnegan asked the crowd.

Attendees began the day outside with a prayer service in front of the Lincoln statute, in front of which a large wooden "God Abhors Civil Unions" cross had been placed.Some attendees carried pictures of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and posters emphasizing their belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

"Kids do better with a mom and a dad," one sign read.

That message rings true for Laura Invergo of Freeport, who brought two of her three children.

"My youngest, even though she's not old enough to vote, she wrote notes to (lawmakers) ... asking them to consider her future in their votes," she said. "It's not natural to have children grow up and not know what it's like to have a mother and a father. That's what I want for my children. I feel it's a biblical thing and it produces healthy people."

Pastors from several of the area's black mega-churches are trying to help blunt gay-marriage advocates' work to clinch a handful more "yes" votes to secure passage of the measure in the House. Activists are targeting moderate Republicans and socially conservative members of the largely Democratic House Black Caucus to get to the 60 votes needed.

Same-sex marriage legislation passed the state Senate in February but has not been called in the House.

A few weeks ago, House Speaker Michael Madigan said a dozen votes are needed for the legislation's passage. However, gay-rights activist Rick Garcia said Tuesday that the count of "yes" votes is around 55, progress that Wednesday's ralliers pledged to work to erode.

Tuesday's gathering was kicked off by a host of top Democratic state officials and Republican Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka. Two Republican senators took to the podium Wednesday.

Sen. Kirk Dillard, one of four GOP primary candidates for governor, cracked that if he were governor, such a rally might not have to be staged. Dillard called the measure a violation of First Amendment rights and pledged to veto any gay-marriage legislation that might come across his desk.

Fellow Republican Sen. Jim Oberweis, who is gathering petition signatures for a U.S. Senate run against Sen. Dick Durbin, reminded the group that he's long been an opponent of gay marriage.

Monsignor Carl Kemme of the Catholic Diocese of Springfield called marriage "God's design, not man's."

On Tuesday, Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki barred any pro-gay marriage activists wearing rainbow sashes from attending a Mass. Kemme called Springfield a "fearless defender of the traditional definition of marriage."

Illinois allowed civil unions in 2011 — a measure passed by a lame-duck Legislature. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia allow gay marriage.